REVIEW: Crimson Dragon

Crimson Dragon
Rail Shooter, Multiplayer
Xbox One

Crimson Dragon is a long awaited sequel to Panzer Dragoon, a game I never played but since the game is currently free with Games with Gold, I decided to try it out. I remember when it originally came out that it was one of the first games released for the system. I never got around to playing it until it became free and I am glad that I waited as it isn't much fun to play.

The graphics feel dated even though the game is only a few years old. Not sure if it is intentional but if you are one of the first games out of the gate on a new system, I would expect much more impressive and colorful graphics. The soundtrack is also sub par.

As a dragon rider capable of communicating with dragons, you take on various missions riding your dragon as you attempt to uncover a mysterious virus that is threatening the population of your new planet. As you enter the level you are on a preplanned route as you shoot down enemy dragons, missiles, and other threatening items. While that may sound fun, this game does a horrible job and takes the enjoyment out of a simple idea.



Making it worse is all of the micro-transactions. While the game is free, the ability to level up and attain an advantage in the game will cost you money. While you can level up normally, you are also able to do it through real money transfers. Something I avoided at all cost.

If you are looking for something new and won't cost you anything Crimson Dragon is a good choice; however, if you want something that will keep you interested and playing far longer than a few hours I would look elsewhere. Crimson Dragon is mediocre at best.

Overall 5/10

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REVIEW: Mind Zero PS Vita

Mind Zero
RPG, Dungeon Crawler
PS Vita

In the wake of Persona 4 Golden there are a few games that try to use the same winning formula, Mind Zero takes the real world where a few teenagers have found themselves in the middle of a battle between the police and entities known as MINDs and their plot to open a portal from their world to ours. The teens gain the ability to call upon spirits to help them in battle to help curb the tide of negative emotions that allow the MINDs to enter our world.

The game does a great job with the voice talent and the combat. The game uses turned-based combat and the teens can use spirits to help them in combat. Through the use unique combat cards that you can swap in and out gives the player several options during battles. One feature that I enjoyed was the ability to save the game during dungeons, I would play the game in short bursts so this feature was huge for me.



The weak point of Mind Zero is the plot. The story is mundane at best and it plods along as if it is walking in a bog. Slow and drawn out is a good way to describe the story. However, once you get past the cutscenes in the beginning things do pick up and the game is off to the races.



VERDICT

Mind Zero is said to be a Persona clone and in my opinion it is, but it is one of the best out there if you are looking for a new dungeon crawler this is a strong contender.

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REVIEW: Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor
PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Third Person, Action Role-Playing, Sandbox

Set in the Lord of the Rings universe some time between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, you play Talion, a Ranger of Gondor, who was slain along with his family by Sauron's army only to return thanks to the wraith spirit of an elf who is also seeking revenge agains Sauron.

The gameplay is a mash up of a couple of other successful games. The biggest comparison is the Assassin's Creed series. Throughout Talion's adventure he can unlock towers that allow him to fast travel to various locations on the map and shows where various collectibles and challenges are in the area, he also parkours around the various crumbling buildings and structures. Bushes also provide cover that work as long as the Uruks don't walk into them.



The other franchise it emulates is the Batman Arkham series, you slice and dice the enemies and see the parry icon above the enemies head letting you know that you need to push the button or your combo multiplier will be reset to zero. Through upgrades, your special takedown (assassination) will take less and less combos for it to be activated. I upgraded it to the point where once I had it, I was able to use it twice once it was available, which allowed me to mow down the enemies regardless of how many there were around me.

One feature that is all Shadow of Mordor is the Nemesis System, a system that affects the way you play the game. As you go against Captains and Warchiefs the game reacts to your outcomes. If you die or run away in the process of eliminating the Uruk, they advance in stature and may take over a higher position that you left open in the chain of command. The Uruk grows in power and the next time you meet they will harass you and mock you. However, if you use some of the intelligence gathered on your target, you might be able to turn the tide of battle before it even begins. Even random Uruk's that where a nameless enemy can become powerful if they kill you. In the later stages of the game you have the option to turn them to your cause and as you take out other Uruks to make space for your new troop leaders they can worm their way into even higher ranks and eventually become Warchiefs. At one point, I went back to the first map and turned every captain and Warchief to my side just because I loved the idea of having all of them under my command. When you dominate your captains you can have them send death threats to other commanders, giving you the opportunity to earn epic runes that are used to upgrade your weapons.

The collectibles are rarely something that I tend to go after in most games but the ability to earn points, which are used to upgrade your weapons made me search high and low for them. There are also weapons challenges for your bow, sword and dagger, which also give you the opportunity to earn points to upgrade weapons. The one downside to the collectibles is there is no real reward for unlocking the doorway glyphs. I felt that after scouring the countryside for them, it should have unlocked some reward beyond a trophy on PSN, achievements mean very little to me as I don't care how many trophies I have or how many points I earn on Xbox. However, for the completionist it should keep them going for quite a while.

Shadow of Mordor is a great game that keeps you playing until your controller's battery dies. There are plenty of ways to tackle the enemies and play your own play style. Regardless of your love or dislike of the classic books or movies, it should keep you entertained for hours and hours. It has quickly become one of my favorites and that was unexpected.

Verdict  9/10

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REVIEW: Velocity

Velocity
Puzzle, Shooter
PS4, PS Vita, PS3

Velocity is a scrolling game that involves navigating a Quarp Jet, a spacecraft that can teleport while it avoiding and defeating aliens. The main goal of the game is to rescue stranded ships. In order to do that you must shoot down shields and obstacles in order to reach stranded ships and rescue their crews. The puzzle portion comes when you must deactivate the shields in a specific order as well as other challenges.

Velocity is a cross buy, which means that it is available for both the PS4, PS3 and the PS Vita. I had a chance to play it on both the PS4 and the Vita and both are great ports. The Vita version feels natural, with the bombs using the the right joystick. The graphics are amazing as they use a variety of colors and the game is quite challenging as the levels ramp up the difficulty once you get a feel for the game.

The game also adds a side scrolling section that puts our heroine on foot and dashing through barriers, solving puzzles that advance the game. While most games that take you out of the main game would feel disjointed, the on foot action feels like a natural extension to the game.

With all the triple a titles vying for your attention, Velocity is a game that shouldn't be missed as it is a new twist on an old theme and it is done exceptionally well. Velocity is free until 7 October when October's Playstation Plus games switch. So act fast if you want to experience it.

VERDICT

7/10

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REVIEW: AirMech Arena

AirMech Arena
Arcade, Multiplayer,
PC, Steam, XBox 360, Android

One of the best free to play games on the Xbox 360 is AirMech Area, a game that has you piloting a large pantheon of aircraft that can transform into a giant robot as you fight for control over a map. The graphics really remind me of the 80's Saturday morning cartoons as the maps are colorful and the units are drawn well, but simple.

When you first start AirMech Arena you are to choose between three pilots, all with a positive and a negative ability/stat. (IE: speed but no armor, or armor but no speed). After choosing a pilot you are subject to a long tutorial, which does gets a little long in the tooth, which teaches you how to take over a control point and order various units from your base.

Your Mech is able to carry your bases troops and other units and drop them all over the map and you can issue orders to your troops as they are being generated at your base or you can create them, pick them up, and send them into the fray.

The action is quick and the game is fun as there are over 60 units to choose from to help you conquer your enemies. I found the best option is to defend your base first by building turrets, once you have adequately set up your defense, you can then set out conquering the rest of the map without worrying about being over ran. I also took over other bases to expand my empire before going for the heart of the enemy. A lot of preparation goes a long way and makes for quicker matches.



While the game is free to play, there is an option to visit the publisher's store where you can purchase upgrades and new skins; however, as you play through the game you earn points called Kudos, which will help you along the way and allow you to purchase new pilots and units without spending any money, unless you are impatient, in which case you will head straight for the store.

VERDICT

AirMech Arena is one of those games that will make the top ten list every time as it is a unique game that pairs real time strategy with tower defense games all wrapped up in the feel of a cartoon.

Overall 9/10

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REVIEW: Destiny

Destiny
Single Player, First person RPG
Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS 4, PS3, PC


Destiny is an online multiplayer, first-person, open-world shooter set in a science fiction setting in Earth's future.

I have had the opportunity to play for several days now and have hit the opening ceiling, level 20. While I will continue to play the game, this is my review based on the first half of the game. Roughly 20 hours into it.

GAMEPLAY

Anyone who has played the Halo franchise will quickly feel like they are at home. The controls are very similar. The game has several missions that are played linearly but as you progress through them the game allows you to try different planets and jump around; however, you will need to complete all of the missions at some point in order to finish the game.

By opening up your ghost you are able to find side missions on every planet that range from kill x amount of enemies to collect items from killed enemies. There is also the occasional scan an area that you must navigate the entire map to stand in one place for a few seconds and then the mission is complete. They are all rather easy and provide a decent amount of experience points helping you level up. The best way to ensure good experience points is to do bounties, which range from kill 100 enemies without dying in the campaign to benchmarks in the crucible (the PvP arena).

Two other modes are Raids, Strikes. These put you up against bosses after fighting your way to them in 3 person fireteams. I have only done a few of them and they are most helpful once you hit the 20th level and want to continue leveling up your toon as they have a better chance of dropping "light gear."

The Crucible is the final play mode currently. For anyone who wants to pit themselves against other players there are a few modes to play where you can also win gear that will help you in the main campaign. I strongly recommend using an auto rifle as the single shot gun had me at a disadvantage for those that play this type of game a lot.

The problems that I have with the game are that it is a very short campaign. After roughly 18 hours I had completed the game and was only a few XP points away from hitting level 20. Once I hit level 20, I grew bored. The reason that I grew bored was because the game is very repetitive and monotonous. Once you have done it, you have to do it again and again. The loot that drops is far and few between. While the drops improved as I reached level 20 they still took forever to get and weren't all that helpful as they weren't much better than what I was already equipped with and didn't boost my stats enough to make the mission worth it. Destiny does use Loot 2.0 where the loot you see is yours and yours alone, which makes it so that you aren't fighting over drops. But it is only for your toons and you can only share between the characters you have created. It is disappointing as you come across things that could be useful to your online friends, it would be nice to be able to give it to your friends to help them on their journey, maybe in a patch.

another complaint is that the enemies are just new skins on Halo enemies. Their guns are very similar as well as their "classes." The differences are in looks only and it is disappointing. The loading times are annoying. It loads to get to the destination screen and once you have picked a location you will wait for it to load again, perfect for restroom breaks or grabbing a snack. Trust me, you have time.

Finally, I played as a warlock and one of the powers is to glide, while a cool power it does make it difficult to get to higher locations on the map. A hunter is able to double and later triple jump making it easy for them to reach hidden chests and places, where I was stuck making several attempts to reach a ledge. While my buddy and I would laugh about the whole ordeal, it was frustrating to say the least.

Very early in the game (on launch day) I took part in an in game event as a giant Sputnik like satellite fell to Earth and my friend and I tackled the event alone. I figured on launch day hundreds of people would rush the scene and take part in the event but alas, my buddy and I did it by ourselves. Not sure if the game ramps up the difficulty as more players join in but it wasn't all the difficult to do with just two people. Since then, I haven't seen an event. While the game, Defiance wasn't all that great, one thing they did do well was in-game events and it is a model that Bungie should model themselves after.



GRAPHICS

If there is one thing Destiny does well is how beautiful the game looks. Sitting for a few minutes to watch time pass in the game will reveal a stunning horizon. The guns are modeled well and the enemies are rendered well.

AUDIO

Bungie recycled a lot of the audio from Halo and fans will notice it quickly. The voice acting, while it features the very talented Peter Dinklage as your ghost companion, is not very exciting and in my opinion appears to have phoned in his lines and then cashed his check.

Some of the upcoming events before the planned DLC in December:

VERDICT

While Destiny has a lot of things going for it and has many events planned soon (see below) it is very monotonous and repetitive. The fact that the campaign is short, only 18 hours or so strikes me as very short sighted. The lack of directions on what to do after reaching level 20 is disappointing and while it could be fixed with a little tweaking, the loot drops are far and few between make for a lot of unnecessary grinding.  With that said, Bungie does seem very committed to game and we should see some positive changes very soon. I am not all that impressed with the game but look forward to seeing how the game develops over time and improves. It has a lot going for it and I am hoping for improvements to make this game last as a rotating title in my playlist.

6.5/10

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REVIEW: Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood XBOX ONE

Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood
Platformer, Puzzle, Side-scroller
360, XB1, Windows


Max arrives home and is quickly annoyed by his little brother, Felix. A quick internet search on how to get rid of your brother leads to a portal opening up and a hand grabbing Felix right in front of Max. Worried what will happen when their parents get home, Max quickly jumps into the portal in order to save his brother. Thus begins the adventure.

GAMEPLAY

The core of Max: Curse of the Brotherhood is a 2 1/2D side-scrolling puzzle game with a cinematic camera. Like the predecessors before it, you must navigate pits, animals and enemies while using ropes, vines, and pillars to navigate the world. Very early on you receive a "magic marker" that grants you the ability to manipulate the environment. You can raise platforms, erase items that help Max on his journey to recover his brother.

While there are plenty of puzzles, there are also enemies that you must work around. At times if feels like the successor to the old 8-bit Mario games that I have fond memories of.



GRAPHICS

Right off the bat, you can see that Max is a beautiful game. The colors are rich and the environments are stunning. The characters are drawn in a very Pixar way and will find fans quickly.

AUDIO

While the audio is great and works well within the game, it isn't all that memorable. As I write this review, I can't even recall the music. I know that it works well within the levels and helps you become immersed in the game but that it doesn't stick with you the way other in-game music would.

VERDICT

I happened to pick this up with XBox One's Games With Gold program and enjoyed it for several hours; however, that said I am not all that sure that I will ever manage to finish it as it gets old quickly and it never really grabs at you the way some games do. If you are looking for something new and visually stunning then pick this one up. It just won't keep you all that interested for very long.

OVERALL 6/10

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